Spanish Soccer Official Arrested As Corruption Scandal Grows

A Spanish Civil Guard policeman stands guard outside the Spanish Football Federation headquarters during an anti-corruption operation in Las Rozas, outside Madrid, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Spanish Football Federation president Angel Maria Villar was arrested Tuesday along with his son and two more federation executives as part of an anti-corruption probe. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Football Federation president Angel Maria Villar was arrested Tuesday along with his son and two more federation executives in an anti-corruption investigation.

The office of the state prosecutor in charge of anti-corruption says Villar, who is FIFA’s senior vice president and a UEFA vice president, is suspected of having arranged matches for Spain that led to business deals that benefited his son.

The state prosecutor and Spanish police say Villar, his son Gorka Villar, and two other soccer officials were detained while raids were carried out at the federation headquarters and other properties.

The other two men arrested were Juan Padron, the federation’s vice president of economic affairs who is also the president of the regional federation for Tenerife, and Ramon Hernandez, the secretary of that regional federation.

Later on Tuesday, policemen were seen escorting Angel Maria Villar into the Spanish Football Federation offices on the outskirts of Madrid several.

Villar, the president of the Spanish federation and FIFA’s senior vice president, emerged from a Guardia Civil vehicle in casual clothes and was taken inside the premises by two agents.

Villar had been spotted half an hour earlier as agents drove him out of his Madrid apartment, Spanish national broadcaster TVE said.